A Magical Paradox with Flaming Red Hair
by Fandom Exploitation
Summary: Mr. Gold gets an impossible visitor to his shop. Natasha Romanova is just trying to do her job, even if she has to deal with men that believe in fairy tales.


SHIELD was notorious for sending their agents to most dangerous, volatile and strange places that Planet Earth has to offer. Natasha Romanoff had thought she had seen it all. The horrors of Russia, Afghanistan and Budapest but SHIELD had now added cosy towns to their list of areas of concern. She was still in America, Storybrooke Maine to be precise, and according to Fury, this place has been giving odd and unexplained energy readings, readings that suggested there was a high level energy source in the area. Whether Fury wanted to investigate this for the greater good of mankind or self benefits, she came into the town solo, undercover, and alert without question.

SHIELD was unable to localise where the energy source was exactly, which was the reason why she was casually walking down the street of the lazy town, pausing in front of a store: Mr. Gold's Pawnbroker and Antiquities Dealer. She pushed the door open, a shrill ring announcing her arrival and found herself among what could be accurately described as the abode of a hoarder. The shop appeared to be empty but she saw that the counter still had unfinished restoration projects that still smelt fresh with paint.

"Can I help you miss?" A voice said, the owner of the shop walking in from the back door.

"I was passing through and I was interested in your shop," the agent replied smoothly.

"Interested in my shop? Very few visitors come to Storybrooke, even less so to my shop. Please don't bore me with fables, I know you don't care for a brass pipe from the 1800's," the man she assumed was Mr. Gold. In short, he had quite an uninviting demeanor. She had been in the store for less than five minutes and she was already being questioned. Still, she kept her façade and and stood defiantly before him.

"My name is Natalie Rushman, I'm a journalist from New York. I've been interested in the location because there are rumours about this place. I just want to debunk some of those theories. I just thought a place with old things that are said to have magical properties would be the best place to start," the Black Widow pulled flawlessly. Mr. Gold remained sceptical and frowned.

"You do know that no one ever comes to Storybrooke."

"And why is that?"

"You just...can't."

"Right. So I'm guessing you are in on some of the rumours as well. Feel free to explain why I shouldn't be able to come here," she said. Yet it was something worth being taken into consideration because for the minimal time she had been in town, no one had entered the town, or left. She couldn't hear any cars outside, or people chattering. It was quiet, too quiet.

"Who are you?" Mr. Gold said, walking towards her.

"I thought I already told you that," she said.

"I don't recognize you, Ariel? No, she would be a mute, a distant land's princess? Possibly," Mr. Gold rambled to himself. Black Widow knitted her eyebrows together in confusion. Was this man for real? He was getting odder by the second.

"Do you really want to know?" She said after Mr. Gold continued to spit out random fairy tale names.

"Oh please do, this old brain of mind doesn't seem to be cooperating, jog my memory if you will."

"I'm an Agent of SHIELD."

"Who? Are you some secret member of the round table?"

"No, Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division," she muttered. She had broken her cover, and Mr Gold looked slightly taken back, but not in suspicion, as if he was still stuck on the 'round table' idea. It hadn't been the first time she had made the call to break cover. As long as she had a good enough reason, Fury wouldn't reprimand her too much. In this instance, it was because he genuinely thought she was some sort of fairytale character. He was still mumbling names from Disney under his breath.

"That's quite a mouthful."

"So we've been told. Now can you explain the large amount energy that is being emitted from this very location?"

"You work for the government."

"Yes, we've established that. Now can you…"

"How can you be here. It's impossible."

"What has you thinking that I can't be here?"

"I don't understand," Mr. Gold said, pacing even closer towards her, like he wanted to sniff her.

"Back up pal," she said, tensing her muscles in preparation to push this nut case away.

"Fine, fine. The energy is magical. You cannot harness it, and it is only restricted to this place and this place alone," Mr. Gold said. Knowing the woman wouldn't believe a single word.

"I thought that was the case. My superiors still hoped that it could be an alternate resource. But we prefer not to touch that kind of thing. Too unpredictable," the Black Widow said. Mr. Gold couldn't believe his ears. Was age catching up to him or was this red headed beauty accepting his claim.

"Who are you?" He said and this time he added a threatening edge.

"They call me Black Widow," she said. She then took a single step back before turning on her heel. "Thank you for your time. I am sorry to have disturbed you." She then opened the door widely and disappeared as quick as she had come.

Mr. Gold claimed that title to memory. He would find out about this Black Widow person but he already had his assumptions. Mutated human perhaps? Not bound by the magical laws of Storybrooke. It seems that magic wasn't the most powerful force after all. He decided he would keep that information to himself, Regina wouldn't benefit from it although he would have enjoyed watching the woman gape at the fact that there were others possibly more powerful then herself, besides him of course.

Still, he would rather keep S.H.E.I.L.D and it's mysteries away from this town and he let out a tired sigh as he waited for the sound of the door bell to fade and vanish, just like Black Widow's visit to Storybrooke Maine.

* * *

**Revised 4/12/2012  
**


End file.
